Semiconductor device

ABSTRACT

A semiconductor device includes an active pattern extending on a substrate in a first direction, divided into a plurality of regions by a separation region, and having a first edge portion exposed toward the separation region; first, second and third channel layers vertically separated and sequentially disposed on the active pattern; a first gate electrode extending in a second direction, intersecting the active pattern, and surrounding the first, second and third channel layers; source/drain regions disposed on the active pattern, on at least one side of the first gate electrode, and contacting the first, second and third channel layers; a semiconductor structure including first semiconductor layers and second semiconductor layers alternately stacked on the active pattern, and having a second edge portion exposed toward the separation region; and a blocking layer covering at least one of an upper surface, side surfaces, or the second edge portion, of the semiconductor structure.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of KoreanPatent Application No. 10-2019-0171517, filed on Dec. 20, 2019, in theKorean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present inventive concept relates to a semiconductor device.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

As the demand for high performance, high speed, and/ormultifunctionality in a semiconductor device increases, the degree ofintegration of the semiconductor device also increases. In manufacturinga semiconductor device having a fine pattern corresponding to thecurrent trend toward high integration, it is desirable to implementpatterns having a fine width or a fine separation distance. In addition,efforts are being made to develop a semiconductor device including a finfield-effect transistor (FinFET) having a three-dimensionally structuredchannel to overcome limitations in operating characteristics due to thecontinue downscaling of a planar metal oxide semiconductor field-effecttransistor (MOSFET). Also, to overcome the physical scaling andperformance limitations of FinFETs, gate all around (GAA) transistorsthat feature a gate on all four sides of the channel are beingdeveloped.

SUMMARY

Example embodiments of the present inventive concept provide asemiconductor device having enhanced reliability.

According to an example embodiment of the present inventive concept, asemiconductor device includes an active pattern extending on a substratein a first direction and having first side surfaces opposing each otherand a first edge portion connected to the first side surfaces, aplurality of channel layers spaced apart from each other vertically onthe active pattern, a first gate electrode extending in a seconddirection, while intersecting the active pattern and the plurality ofchannel layers, on the substrate, and surrounding the plurality ofchannel layers, source/drain regions disposed on the active pattern, onat least one side of the first gate electrode, and contacting theplurality of channel layers, a semiconductor structure disposed adjacentto the first edge portion of the active pattern, and having second sidesurfaces opposing each other and a second edge portion connected to thesecond side surfaces, the semiconductor structure including a pluralityof first semiconductor layers and a plurality of second semiconductorlayers, alternately stacked on each other on the active pattern, asecond gate electrode extending in the second direction on the substrateand surrounding the first edge portion of the active pattern and thesecond edge portion of the semiconductor structure, and a blocking layerdisposed between the semiconductor structure and the second gateelectrode.

According to an example embodiment of the present inventive concept, asemiconductor device includes an active pattern extending on a substratein a first direction, divided into a plurality of regions by aseparation region, and having a first edge portion exposed toward theseparation region, first, second and third channel layers verticallyspaced apart from each other and sequentially disposed on the activepattern, a first gate electrode extending in a second direction whileintersecting the active pattern, on the substrate, and surrounding thefirst, second and third channel layers, source/drain regions disposed onthe active pattern, on at least one side of the first gate electrode,and contacting the first, second and third channel layers, asemiconductor structure including first semiconductor layers and secondsemiconductor layers alternately stacked on the active pattern, andhaving a second edge portion exposed toward the separation region, and ablocking layer covering at least one of an upper surface, side surfaces,or the second edge portion, of the semiconductor structure.

According to an example embodiment of the present inventive concept, asemiconductor device includes an active pattern extending on a substratein a first direction, and divided into a plurality of regions by aseparation region, a semiconductor structure disposed adjacent to theseparation region, on the active pattern, a first gate electrodeextending in a second direction while intersecting the active pattern,on the substrate, a second gate electrode extending in the seconddirection while intersecting the semiconductor structure, on thesubstrate, and surrounding the semiconductor structure, source/drainregions disposed on the active pattern, on at least one side of thefirst gate electrode, and a blocking layer covering the semiconductorstructure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects and features of the present inventiveconcept will be more clearly understood from the following detaileddescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a semiconductor device according toan example embodiment of the present inventive concept;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a semiconductor deviceaccording to an example embodiment of the present inventive concept;

FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a semiconductor device according toan example embodiment of the present inventive concept;

FIGS. 4 to 8, 9A to 9C and 10 are cross-sectional views eachillustrating a semiconductor device according to an example embodimentof the present inventive concept; and

FIGS. 11A to 11B, 12A to 12B, 13A to 13B, 14A to 14D, 15A to 15B, 16A to16C, 17A to 17B, 18A to 18B, and 19A to 19B are diagrams according to aprocess sequence to describe a method of manufacturing a semiconductordevice according to an example embodiment of the present inventiveconcept.

Since the drawings in FIGS. 1-19B are intended for illustrativepurposes, the elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn toscale. For example, some of the elements may be enlarged or exaggeratedfor clarity purpose.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, example embodiments of the present inventive concept willbe described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a semiconductor device according toan example embodiment of the present inventive concept.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a semiconductor deviceaccording to an example embodiment of the present inventive concept.FIG. 2 illustrates cross-sections of the semiconductor device of FIG. 1taken along lines I-I′, II-II′ and III-III′. For convenience ofdescription, only the main components of the semiconductor device areillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a semiconductor device according toan example embodiment of the present inventive concept. FIG. 3 is anenlarged view of area “A” of FIG. 1.

First, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a semiconductor device 100 mayinclude a substrate 101, an active pattern 105 having a line shape or abar shape on the substrate 101, channel structures 140 including aplurality of channel layers 141, 142 and 143 that are vertically spacedapart from each other on the active pattern 105, source/drain regions150 being in contact with the plurality of channel layers 141, 142 and143, first and second gate structures 160 and 170 extending whileintersecting the active pattern 105, and contact plugs 180 connected tothe source/drain regions 150. The first gate structure 160 may bevertically overlapped, for example, overlapped in the Z direction, withthe plurality of channel layers 141, 142 and 143. The semiconductordevice 100 may further include device isolation layers 110, asemiconductor structure 120, a blocking layer 130, and an interlayerinsulating layer 190. The semiconductor structure 120 may include firstsemiconductor layers 121 and second semiconductor layers 122 that arealternately stacked. The first and second gate structures 160 and 170include first and second gate dielectric layers 162 and 172, first andsecond gate electrodes 165 and 175, first and second spacer layers 164and 174, and first and second gate capping layers 166 and 176,respectively.

In the semiconductor device 100, the active pattern 105 has a finstructure, and the first gate electrode 165 may be disposed between theactive pattern 105 and the channel structure 140, between the pluralityof channel layers 141, 142 and 143 of the channel structures 140, and onthe channel structure 140. Accordingly, the semiconductor device 100 mayinclude multi-bridge channel field-effect transistors (MBCFET™)constituted by the channel structures 140, the source/drain regions 150,and the first gate structures 160. The first gate electrode 165 maythree-dimensionally surround the plurality of channel layers 141, 142and 143 of the channel structure 140. Since the first gate electrode 165may wrap around the plurality of channel layers 141, 142 and 143, thesemiconductor device 100 may include a gate all around (GAA) transistorstructure. However, the present inventive concept is not limitedthereto. For example, the active pattern 105 may have a fin structureand may be a fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) that is a transistorin which a channel region of the transistor is formed in the activepattern 105 that intersects the gate electrode.

The substrate 101 may have an upper surface extending in the X directionand the Y direction, and may include a semiconductor material, such as agroup IV semiconductor, a group III-V compound semiconductor, or a groupII-VI compound semiconductor. For example, the group IV semiconductormay include silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), or silicon germanium (SiGe).The group III-V compound semiconductor may include, for example, galliumphosphide (GaP), gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium arsenide (InAs), indiumphosphide (InP), gallium antimonide (GaSb), indium antimonide (InSb), orindium gallium arsenide (InGaAs). The group II-VI compound semiconductormay include, for example, cadmium selenide (CdSe), cadmium sulfide(CdS), cadmium telluride (CdTe), zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc selenide (ZnSe),zinc sulfide (ZnS), or zinc telluride (ZnTe). The substrate 101 may beprovided as a bulk wafer, an epitaxial layer, a silicon on insulator(SOI) layer, or a semiconductor on insulator (SeOI) layer.

The active pattern 105 is defined by the device isolation layer 110formed in the substrate 101, and may be disposed to extend in a firstdirection, for example, in the X direction. However, the presentinventive concept is not limited thereto. For example, the activepattern 105 may be disposed in an oblique bar shape extending in adirection other than the X direction and the Y direction. The activepattern 105 may have a structure protruding upward from the substrate101. The upper end of the active pattern 105 may be disposed to protrudefrom an upper surface (or a top surface) of the device isolation layer110 to a predetermined height. The device isolation layer 110 may notcover the upper portions of the active pattern 105, and may coversidewalls of lower portions of the active pattern 105. The activepattern 105 may be divided into a plurality of regions in the firstdirection, for example, the X direction, by a separation region SR, andmay include first side surfaces S1 opposing each other in the seconddirection, for example, in the Y direction, and a first edge portion E1connected to the first side surfaces S1 and exposed toward theseparation region SR. The separation region SR may separate transistorsfrom each other in the first direction, for example, the X direction.The active pattern 105 may be formed of a portion of the substrate 101or may include an epitaxial layer grown from the substrate 101. Theactive patterns 105 formed on the substrate 101 may be partiallyrecessed on both sides of the first and second gate structures 160 and170, and the source/drain regions 150 may be disposed on the recessedactive pattern 105. Thus, the source/drain regions 150 may be providedin the recessed upper portion of the active patterns 105. For example,the source/drain regions 150 may be disposed on the active pattern 105,and on at least one side of the first gate structure 160 (or first gateelectrode 165). Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the activepattern 105 may have a relatively high height below the channelstructure 140 and the first and second gate structures 160 and 170.According to an example embodiment of the present inventive concept, theactive pattern 105 may include impurities, and at least portions of theactive patterns 105 may include impurities of different conductivitytypes from each other, but the present inventive concept is not limitedthereto.

The device isolation layer 110 may define the active pattern 105 on thesubstrate 101, and may be formed by, for example, a shallow trenchisolation (STI) process. For example, the active pattern 105 may bedefined by a shallow trench formed in the upper portion of the substrate101, the device isolation layer 110 may fill the shallow trench. Thedevice isolation layer 110 may expose upper sidewalls of the activepattern 105. According to an example embodiment of the present inventiveconcept, the device isolation layer 110 may also include a regionextending to be relatively deeper to the lower portion of the substrate101, between the active patterns 105. The device isolation layer 110 mayhave a curved upper surface having a higher level as it is more adjacentto the active pattern 105, but the shape of the upper surface of thedevice isolation layer 110 is not limited thereto. The device isolationlayer 110 may be formed of an insulating material, and may be formed of,for example, oxide, nitride, or a combination thereof. In an exampleembodiment of the present inventive concept, the device isolation layer110 may include an insulating material, such as, for example, siliconoxide (SiO₂), silicon nitride (Si₃N₄), silicon oxynitride (SiON), or acombination thereof. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the device isolationlayers 110 may have different heights on a lower portion and an externalside of the first and second gate structures 160 and 170, but the shapeis a shape depending on the manufacturing process, and thus, the heightdifference of the upper surface may be variously changed according to anexample embodiment of the present inventive concept.

The channel structure 140 may include the first, second and thirdchannel layers 141, 142 and 143, which are two or more channel layers,with three being represented here as an example, disposed on the activepattern 105 to be spaced apart from each other in a directionperpendicular to the upper surface of the active pattern 105, forexample, in the Z direction. The first, second and third channel layers141, 142 and 143 may be spaced apart from the upper surface of theactive pattern 105 while being connected to the source/drain regions150. The first, second and third channel layers 141, 142 and 143 mayhave a width the same as or similar to that of the active pattern 105 inthe Y direction, and may have a width the same as or similar to that ofthe gate structure 160 in the X direction. However, according to anexample embodiment of the present inventive concept, the first, secondand third channel layers 141, 142 and 143 may have a reduced width suchthat side surfaces are positioned below the first gate structure 160 inthe X direction. The first, second and third channel layers 141, 142 and143 may be formed of a semiconductor material, and may include at leastone of, for example, silicon (Si), silicon germanium (SiGe), orgermanium (Ge). Alternatively, a III-V compound semiconductor may beused for the first, second and third channel layers 141, 142 and 143.The first, second and third channel layers 141, 142 and 143 may beformed of, for example, a material the same as that of the substrate101. However, any suitable material may be used for the first, secondand third channel layers 141, 142 and 143, and the material used may bedifferent from that of the substrate 101. In an example embodiment ofthe present inventive concept, the number and shape of the channellayers 141, 142 and 143 constituting one channel structure 140 may bevariously changed.

The source/drain regions 150 may be disposed on the active pattern 105,on both sides of the channel structure 140, and may be provided as asource region or a drain region of the transistor. The source/drainregions 150 may be disposed on respective side surfaces of the first,second and third channel layers 141, 142 and 143 of the channelstructure 140, and may be disposed such that lower end portions thereofcover an upper surface of the active pattern 105. The source/drainregion 150 may be disposed by partially recessing the upper portion ofthe active pattern 105, but the present inventive concept is not limitedthereto. For example, in an example embodiment of the present inventiveconcept, the recess may not be formed, or the depth of the recess may bevariously changed. The source/drain regions 150 may be a semiconductorlayer including silicon (Si), and may be formed of an epitaxial layer.The source/drain regions 150 may include impurities having types and/orconcentrations different from each other. For example, the source/drainregions 150 may include n-type doped silicon (Si) and/or p-type dopedsilicon germanium (SiGe). The p-type dopant may include, for example,boron (B), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), indium (In), or a combinationthereof, and the n-type dopant may include, for example, phosphorus (P),arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), or a combination thereof. Inan example embodiment of the present inventive concept, the source/drainregions 150 may include a plurality of regions including elements and/ordoping elements having concentrations different from each other. In anexample embodiment of the present inventive concept, dopants may beinjected in-situ into the source/drain regions 150 during a selectiveepitaxial growth (SEG) process for forming the source/drain regions 150.In an example embodiment of the present inventive concept, the dopantsmay be injected or implanted into the source/drain regions 150 after theSEG process for forming the source/drain regions 150. For example, anion implantation process may be used to inject the dopants into thesource/drain regions 150 after the SEG process.

The first gate structure 160 may be disposed to extend in one direction,for example, in the Y direction, while intersecting the active pattern105 and the channel structures 140 on the active pattern 105 and thechannel structures 140. Channel regions of transistors may be formed inthe active pattern 105 and the channel structures 140 at a place wherethe active pattern 105 intersects the first gate structure 160. Thefirst gate structure 160 may include the first gate electrode 165, thefirst gate dielectric layer 162 disposed between the first gateelectrode 165 and the plurality of channel layers 141, 142 and 143, thefirst spacer layers 164 disposed on the side surfaces of the first gateelectrode 165, and the first gate capping layer 166 disposed on theupper surface of the first gate electrode 165.

The first gate dielectric layer 162 may be disposed between the activepattern 105 and the first gate electrode 165 and between the channelstructure 140 and the first gate electrode 165, and may be disposed tocover at least a portion of surfaces of the first gate electrode 165.For example, the first gate dielectric layer 162 may be disposed tosurround all surfaces except an uppermost surface of the first gateelectrode 165. The first gate dielectric layer 162 may extend betweenthe first gate electrode 165 and the first spacer layers 164, but thepresent inventive concept is not limited thereto. The first gatedielectric layer 162 may include, for example, oxide, nitride, or ahigh-k material. The high-K material may refer to a dielectric materialhaving a dielectric constant higher than that of the silicon oxide(SiO₂) film. The high-K material may be, for example, aluminum oxide(Al₂O₃), tantalum oxide (Ta₂O₅), titanium oxide (TiO₂), yttrium oxide(Y₂O₃), zirconium oxide (ZrO₂), zirconium silicon oxide (ZrSi_(x)O_(y)),hafnium oxide (HfO₂), hafnium silicon oxide (HfSi_(x)O_(y)), lanthanumoxide (La₂O₃), lanthanum aluminum oxide (LaAl_(x)O_(y)), lanthanumhafnium oxide (LaHf_(x)O_(y)), hafnium zirconium oxide (HfZr_(x)O_(y)),hafnium tantalum oxide (HfTa_(x)O_(y)), hafnium aluminum oxide(HfAl_(x)O_(y)), barium titanium oxide (BaTi_(x)O_(y)), strontiumtitanium oxide (SrTi_(x)O_(y)), or praseodymium oxide (Pr₂O₃). The firstgate dielectric layer 162 may be formed of a single layer or may beformed of multilayers. For example, in an example embodiment of thepresent inventive concept, the first gate dielectric layer 162 may beformed of multilayers including at least one silicon oxide (SiO₂) layerand at least one high-k dielectric layer.

The first gate electrode 165 may be disposed to fill between theplurality of channel layers 141, 142 and 143, on the active pattern 105,and to extend to an upper portion of the channel structure 140, and maybe spaced apart from the plurality of channel layers 141, 142 and 143 bythe first gate dielectric layer 162. The first gate electrode 165 mayinclude a conductive material, for example, a metal nitride such as, forexample, titanium nitride (TiN), tantalum nitride (TaN), molybdenumnitride (MoN), niobium nitride (NbN), or tungsten nitride (WN), and/or ametal material such as, for example, aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti),tantalum (Ta), copper (Cu), tungsten (W) or molybdenum (Mo), or asemiconductor material such as, for example, doped polysilicon (p-Si).The first gate electrode 165 may be formed of two or more layers. Forexample, in an example embodiment of the present inventive concept, thegate electrode 165 may be formed of two layers including one metalnitride layer and one metal layer, with the metal nitride layer as awork function adjusting layer for adjusting a threshold voltage of thetransistor, and the metal layer having a resistance lower than that ofthe metal nitride layer. Alternatively, the gate electrode 165 may beformed of two layers including one metal carbide layer and one metallayer.

The first spacer layers 164 may be disposed on both sides of the firstgate electrode 165, and may extend in the Z direction perpendicular tothe upper surface of the substrate 101. The first spacer layers 164 mayinsulate the source/drain regions 150 and the first gate electrodes 165,and may extend along the first gate electrode 165 in the seconddirection, for example, the Y direction. In an example embodiment of thepresent inventive concept, the first spacer layers 164 may also beformed in a multi-layer structure. The first spacer layers 164 may beformed of, for example, oxide, nitride, or oxynitride, and in detail,may be formed of a low dielectric constant film. For example, In anexample embodiment of the present inventive concept, each of the firstspacer layers 164 may have a multi-layered structure formed of at leasttwo of a silicon oxide (SiO₂) layer, a silicon oxynitride (SiON) layer,a silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) layer, a silicon carbonitride (SiCN) layer,a silicon oxycarbonitride (SiOCN) layer, or a silicon nitride (Si₃N₄)layer.

The first gate capping layer 166 may be disposed on the first gateelectrode 165, and may be disposed to extend in the second direction,for example, in the Y direction, along the upper surface of the firstgate electrode 165. Side surfaces of the first gate capping layer 166may be surrounded by the first spacer layers 164. The upper surface ofthe first gate capping layer 166 may be substantially coplanar with theupper surfaces of the first spacer layers 164 and the upper surfaces ofthe interlayer insulating layer 190 to be described later, but thepresent inventive concept is not limited thereto. The first gate cappinglayer 166 may be formed of oxide, nitride, or oxynitride, and in detail,may include at least one of, for example, silicon oxide (SiO₂), siliconnitride (Si₃N₄), silicon carbonitride (SiCN), silicon oxycarbide (SiOC),silicon oxynitride (SiON), or silicon oxycarbonitride (SiOCN).

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 together, the semiconductor structure 120may have second side surfaces S2 disposed adjacent to the first edgeportion E1 of the active pattern 105, on the active pattern 105, andopposing each other in the second direction, for example, the Ydirection. The semiconductor structure 120 may have a second edgeportion E2 connected to the second side surfaces S2 and exposed towardthe separation region SR. The opposite side of the second edge portionE2 of the semiconductor structure 120 may be disposed to contact thesource/drain regions 150. The second edge portion E2 of thesemiconductor structure 120 may be at least partially coplanar, forexample, on a plane parallel to the YZ plane, with the first edgeportion E1 of the active pattern 105, and the second side surfaces S2 ofthe semiconductor structure 120 may at least partially coplanar, forexample, on a plane parallel to the XZ plane, with the first sidesurfaces S1 of the active pattern 105, but the present inventive conceptis not limited thereto.

The semiconductor structure 120 may include first semiconductor layers121 and second semiconductor layers 122 alternately stacked on theactive pattern 105. Both the first and second semiconductor layers 121and 122 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other in adirection perpendicular to an upper surface of the active pattern 105,for example, in the Z direction, and may be connected to thesource/drain regions 150. For example, the first semiconductor layers121 adjacent to each other may be spaced apart from each other in the Zdirection with the second semiconductor layer 122 interposedtherebetween. The first and second semiconductor layers 121 and 122alternately stacked may vertically overlap each other. The secondsemiconductor layers 122 may be disposed to have thicknesses and heightsfrom the upper surface of the active pattern 105, substantially the sameas those of the first, second and third channel layers 141, 142 and 143,respectively. In an example embodiment of the present inventive concept,each of the second semiconductor layers 122 is disposed at a height thesame as that of each corresponding one of the first, second and thirdchannel layers 141, 142 and 143, and is in contact with the source/drainregions 150. In an example embodiment of the present inventive concept,the second semiconductor layers 122 may be dummy channel layers that donot serve as channel layers in the transistor. The first semiconductorlayers 121 may be disposed at heights substantially the same as those ofthe first gate electrode 165 and the first gate dielectric layer 162disposed between the active pattern 105 and the first channel layer 141,between the first channel layer 141 and the second channel layer 142,and between the second channel layer and the third channel layer 143,respectively. In an example embodiment of the present inventive concept,the first semiconductor layers 121 may be dummy gate electrodes that donot serve as gate electrodes in the transistor. In an example embodimentof the present inventive concept, a lower surface (or a bottom surface)of a lowermost one of the first semiconductor layers 121 may be higherthan an upper surface of the device isolation layer 110.

The first and second semiconductor layers 121 and 122 include asemiconductor material including at least one of, for example, silicon(Si), silicon germanium (SiGe), or germanium (Ge), but may includedifferent materials, and may or may not include impurities. The firstsemiconductor layers 121 may be formed of a material having etchingselectivity with respect to that of the second semiconductor layers 122.The second semiconductor layer 122 may be formed of a material the sameas that of the plurality of channel layers 141, 142 and 143, or may alsobe formed of a material the same as that of the substrate 101.

The blocking layer 130 may be a layer covering the semiconductorstructure 120, and may cover at least one of the upper surface, thesecond side surfaces S2, or the second edge portion E2 of thesemiconductor structure 120. For example, in an example embodiment ofthe present inventive concept, the blocking layer 130 may cover theupper surface and the second side surfaces S2 of the semiconductorstructure 120. The blocking layer 130 may cover the first side surfacesS1 of the active pattern 105 and the second side surfaces S2 of thesemiconductor structure 120. In an example embodiment of the presentinventive concept, the blocking layer 130 may partially cover the secondside surfaces S2 of the semiconductor structure 120 or may cover theentirety of the second side surfaces S2. For example, the blocking layer130 may extend between the first side surfaces S1 of the active pattern105 and the second gate electrode 175, and between the second sidesurfaces S2 of the semiconductor structure 120 and the second gateelectrode 175. The blocking layer 130 may be disposed between thesemiconductor structure 120 and the second gate electrode 175 coveringthe semiconductor structure 120. The blocking layer 130 may have aportion covering the upper surface of the semiconductor structure 120,and a portion extending between the first edge portion E1 of the activepattern 105 and the second gate electrode 175, and between the secondedge portion E2 of the semiconductor structure 120 and the second gateelectrode 175. The lower portion of the blocking layer 130 may extendfurther downward lower than the upper surface of the semiconductorstructure 120 and/or the active pattern 105 to contact the deviceisolation layer 110, but the present inventive concept is not limitedthereto. The device isolation layer 110 may be in contact with the firstside surfaces Si and the first edge portion E1 of the active pattern105, in which a lower surface of the blocking layer 130 may be incontact with an upper surface of the device isolation layer 110. In anexample embodiment of the present inventive concept, the shape,thickness, and area of the blocking layer 130 covering the semiconductorstructure 120 may be variously changed. For example, the thickness ofthe blocking layer 130 covering the second side surfaces S2 of thesemiconductor structure 120 and the thickness of the blocking layer 130covering the second edge portion E2 of the semiconductor structure 120may be the same as or different from each other. The thickness of theblocking layer 130 covering the upper surface of the semiconductorstructure 120 may be relatively thin.

According to an example embodiment of the present inventive concept,when the semiconductor device is a FinFET transistor, the semiconductorstructure 120 may be a portion of the active pattern 105 or may be aportion of the source/drain regions 150. For example, the semiconductorstructure 120 may not include first semiconductor layers 121 and secondsemiconductor layers 122 alternately stacked on the active pattern 105.In this case, the blocking layer 130 may cover the active pattern 105 orthe source/drain regions 150.

The blocking layer 130 may include a semiconductor material such as, forexample, silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), silicon carbide (SiC), or silicongermanium (SiGe). In an example embodiment of the present inventiveconcept, the blocking layer 130 may be formed of oxide, nitride, oroxynitride, and in detail, may include at least one of, for example,silicon oxide (SiO₂), silicon nitride (Si₃N₄), silicon carbonitride(SiCN), silicon oxycarbide (SiOC), silicon oxynitride (SiON), or siliconoxycarbonitride (SiOCN), but the present inventive concept is notlimited thereto. The blocking layer 130 may include a material differentfrom that of the first semiconductor layers 121, and may include amaterial the same as that of the second semiconductor layers 122. Theblocking layer 130 may include a material having an etch selectivitywith respect to that of the first semiconductor layers 121 and/or thatof the second semiconductor layers 122, and for example, the firstsemiconductor layers 121 may include silicon germanium (SiGe) and theblocking layer 130 may include silicon (Si). In an example embodiment ofthe present inventive concept, the blocking layer 130 may include anepitaxial layer grown from the semiconductor structure 120, or may alsobe formed of a plurality of layers doped with impurities in differentconcentrations. The blocking layer 130 may be an epitaxial layer grownfrom the semiconductor structure 120, and impurities may be injectedin-situ into the blocking layer 130 during a selective epitaxial growth(SEG) process for forming the blocking layer 130.

The blocking layer 130 may be a layer that protects the semiconductorstructure 120 and the source/drain regions 150 during the gatereplacement process. In the separation region SR, the second sidesurfaces S2 and/or the second edge portion E2 of the semiconductorstructure 120 are exposed, but since the blocking layer 130 covers thesemiconductor structure 120, the blocking layer 130 may prevent thesource/drain regions 150 adjacent to the separation region SR from beingdamaged when a sacrificial gate electrode layer is removed in a processto be described later and the first semiconductor layer 121 and/or thesecond semiconductor layer 122 are removed together if not covered. Forexample, the sacrificial gate electrode layer to be described may havean etch selectivity with respect to the blocking layer 130, and theblocking layer 130 may not be etched by the etchant used in etching thesacrificial gate electrode layer to be described, as a result, thesemiconductor structure 120 covered by the blocking layer 130 may beprevented from being etched. Thus, a semiconductor device havingenhanced reliability may be provided.

The second gate structure 170 may be disposed to extend in onedirection, for example, in the Y direction, while intersecting theactive pattern 105 and the semiconductor structure 120 on the activepattern 105 and the semiconductor structure 120. The second gatestructure 170 may include a second gate electrode 175, a second gatedielectric layer 172 disposed between the second gate electrode 175 andthe semiconductor structure 120, second spacer layers 174 disposed onside surfaces of the second gate electrode 175, and a second gatecapping layer 176 disposed on the upper surface of the second gateelectrode 175. In the case in which technical features of the secondgate structure 170 are the same as those of the first gate structure160, the descriptions thereof will be omitted, and differences will bemainly described.

The second gate dielectric layer 172 may be disposed between theblocking layer 130 and the second gate electrode 175, may cover theupper and side surfaces of the blocking layer 130, and may have aportion further downwardly extending lower than the upper surface of thesemiconductor structure 120 or the upper surface of the active pattern105, between the blocking layer 130 and the second gate electrode 175.Accordingly, in the second gate dielectric layer 172, the portion thatis disposed between the blocking layer 130 and the second gate electrode175 may further downwardly extend lower than the semiconductor structure120, for example, lower than the lower surface of the semiconductorstructure 120. The lower surface of the second gate dielectric layer 172may contact the upper surface of the device isolation layer 110. Thesecond gate dielectric layer 172 may be disposed between the second gateelectrode 175 and the device isolation layer 110, but the presentinventive concept is not limited thereto.

The second spacer layers 174 may be disposed on both sides of the secondgate electrode 175, and may contact an upper portion of the blockinglayer 130. The second spacer layers 174 are illustrated as being incontact with the blocking layer 130 through the inner surface, but thepresent inventive concept is not limited thereto. For example, the lowersurfaces of the second spacer layers 174 may be in contact with theupper surface of the blocking layer 130, or the second spacer layers 174may not be in contact with the blocking layer 130. At least one of thesecond spacer layers 174 may be in contact with the semiconductorstructure 120. At least one of the second spacer layers 174 may furtherdownwardly extend lower than the upper surface of the semiconductorstructure 120 or the upper surface of the active pattern 105, and atleast one of lower surfaces of the second spacer layers 174 may be incontact with the device isolation layer 110 in the separation region SR.Accordingly, at least one of the second spacer layers 174 may furtherextend to be lower than the semiconductor structure 120, for example,lower than the lower surface of the semiconductor structure 120.However, the present inventive concept is not limited thereto.

The second gate electrode 175 may cover the first edge portion E1 of theactive pattern 105 and the second edge portion E2 of the semiconductorstructure 120. For example, the second gate electrode 175 may include aportion vertically overlapping the first edge portion E1 of the activepattern 105 and the second edge portion E2 of the semiconductorstructure 120. The second gate electrode 175 may cover at least aportion of the semiconductor structure 120, and may include a portionthat extends further downward lower than the upper surface of thesemiconductor structure 120 or the upper surface of the active pattern105. In an example embodiment of the present inventive concept, thesecond gate electrode 175 may be a dummy gate electrode that does notfunction as a gate electrode in the transistor.

The interlayer insulating layer 190 may be disposed to cover the uppersurfaces of the device isolation layers 110, the source/drain regions150, and the first and second gate structures 160 and 170. Theinterlayer insulating layer 190 may be disposed between the second gatestructures 170 in the separation region SR. The interlayer insulatinglayer 190 may include at least one of, for example, oxide, nitride, oroxynitride, and may include a low dielectric constant material. In anexample embodiment of the present inventive concept, the interlayerinsulating layer 190 may include a silicon oxide (SiO₂) layer.

The contact plug 180 may penetrate through the interlayer insulatinglayer 190 to be connected to the source/drain region 150, and may applyan electrical signal to the source/drain region 150. The contact plug180 may have a bar shape extending in the Y direction when viewed in aplan view, and may be disposed on the source/drain region 150 asillustrated in FIG. 1, for example, having a length in the Y directionsmaller than that of the source/drain region 150. However, the presentinventive concept is not limited thereto. For example, in an exampleembodiment of the present inventive concept, the contact plug 180 may bedisposed to have a length longer in the Y direction than that of thesource/drain region 150. The contact plug 180 may have an inclined sidesurface in which the width of the lower portion becomes narrower thanthe width of the upper portion depending on the aspect ratio, but thepresent inventive concept is not limited thereto. The contact plug 180may extend from an upper portion to a portion, for example, to be lowerthan the third channel layer 143, and may be recessed to a heightcorresponding to that of an upper surface of the second channel layer142, but the present inventive concept is not limited thereto. In anexample embodiment of the present inventive concept, the contact plug180 may also be disposed to contact along the upper surface of thesource/drain region 150 without recessing the source/drain region 150.For example, the lower surface of the contact plug 180 may be formed ona plane the same as that of the upper surface of the source/drain region150. The contact plug 180 may include, for example, a metal nitridematerial such as, for example, titanium nitride (TiN), tantalum nitride(TaN), molybdenum nitride (MoN), niobium nitride (NbN), or tungstennitride (WN), and/or a metal material such as, for example, aluminum(Al), titanium (Ti), tantalum (Ta), copper (Cu), tungsten (W), ormolybdenum (Mo).

Next, a semiconductor device according to an example embodiment of thepresent inventive concept will be described with reference to each ofFIGS. 4 to 10. The same description as that described above withreference to FIGS. 1 and 2 will be omitted. Differences from thesemiconductor device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be mainly described.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a semiconductor deviceaccording to an example embodiment of the present inventive concept.FIG. 4 illustrates regions corresponding to cross-sections taken alonglines I-I′, II-II′ and III-III′ of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 4, in a semiconductor device 100A, a lower portion ofa blocking layer 130 a may cover a portion of a lower surface of thesecond gate electrode 175. The blocking layer 130 a may extenddownwardly from above the second edge portion E2 of the semiconductorstructure 120 to the first edge portion E1 of the active pattern 105 tocontact the device isolation layer 110. The blocking layer 130 a mayinclude an extension portion extending in parallel with the uppersurface of the substrate 101 in the first direction, for example, the Xdirection. The extension portion may be disposed below a lowermostsurface of the second gate electrode 175 and may contact the lowersurface of at least one of the second spacer layers 174. The blockinglayer 130 a may be formed to have a shape to be partially recessed afterthe blocking layer 130 a is formed to cover an upper surface, a sidesurface, and an edge portion of the semiconductor structure 120, and maycover an upper surface of the device isolation layer 110 in theseparation region SR by a deposition process.

Since the blocking layer 130 a covers the semiconductor structure 120,the blocking layer 130 a may prevent the source/drain regions 150adjacent to the separation region SR from being damaged by preventingthe semiconductor structure 120 being etched during a process ofremoving a sacrificial gate electrode layer to be described. Thus, thesemiconductor device 100A having enhanced reliability may be provided.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a semiconductor deviceaccording to an example embodiment of the present inventive concept.FIG. 5 illustrates regions corresponding to cross-sections taken alonglines I-I′, II-II′ and III-III′ of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 5, comparing to the example embodiment described abovewith reference to FIG. 2, a semiconductor device 100B may be configuredin such a manner that a surface of the blocking layer 130 disposed onthe opposite side of the surface of the blocking layer 130 b coveringthe second edge portion E2 of the semiconductor structure 120 maycontact the second spacer layer 174. For example, the second gateelectrode 175 may not include a portion that extends further downwardlower than the upper surface of the semiconductor structure 120 or theupper surface of the active pattern 105. The blocking layer 130 b mayextend from the second side surfaces S2 and the second edge portion E2of the semiconductor structure 120 toward the second spacer layers 174to contact the second spacer layers 174. The blocking layer 130 b may bedisposed to fill an area between the semiconductor structure 120 and theinner wall of the second spacer layers 174 facing the second edgeportion E2 of the semiconductor structure 120. The second gatedielectric layer 172 and the second gate electrode 175 may not be formedbetween the blocking layer 130 b and the inner wall of the second spacerlayers 174 facing the second edge portion E2 of the semiconductorstructure 120.

The width of the blocking layer 130 b between the semiconductorstructure 120 and the second spacer layers 174 in the X direction may berelatively great, and the blocking layer 130 b may protect thesemiconductor structure 120 and the source/drain regions 150 adjacent tothe separation region SR. Since the blocking layer 130 b having a greatwidth in the X direction covers the semiconductor structure 120 andprotects the semiconductor structure 120 and the source/drain regions150, the semiconductor device 100B having enhanced reliability may beprovided. According to an example embodiment of the present inventiveconcept, a first width of the semiconductor structure 120 in the Xdirection and a second width of the blocking layer 130 b in the Xdirection may be variously changed, and the ratio of the first width tothe second width may also be variously changed.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a semiconductor deviceaccording to an example embodiment of the present inventive concept.FIG. 6 illustrates regions corresponding to cross-sections taken alonglines I-I′, II-II′ and III-III′ of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 6, a semiconductor device 100C may include anextension portion of the blocking layer 130C extending parallel to theupper surface of the substrate 101 in the first direction, for example,in the X direction, comparing to the blocking layer 130 b illustrated inthe example embodiment described above with reference to FIG. 5. Theextension portion may contact a lower surface of at least one of thesecond spacer layers 174. The blocking layer 130 c may be formed to havea shape, in which the upper surface, the side surface and the edgeportion of the semiconductor structure 120 are covered by the blockinglayer 130 c in the deposition process, and the upper surface of thedevice isolation layer 110 is covered in the separation region SR by theformation of the blocking layer 130 c, and then the blocking layer ispartially recessed. Since the blocking layer 130 c covers thesemiconductor structure 120, the blocking layer 130 c may prevent thesource/drain regions 150 adjacent to the separation region SR from beingdamaged by preventing the semiconductor structure 120 being etchedduring a process of removing a sacrificial gate electrode layer to bedescribed. Thus, the semiconductor device 100C having enhancedreliability may be provided.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a semiconductor deviceaccording to an example embodiment of the present inventive concept.FIG. 7 illustrates regions corresponding to cross-sections taken alonglines I-I′, II-II′ and III-III′ of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 7, comparing to the example embodiment described abovewith reference to FIG. 2, a semiconductor device 100D may be configuredin such a manner that a blocking layer 130 d does not cover the uppersurface of the semiconductor structure 120, but may cover the first edgeportion E1 and the first side surfaces S1 of the active pattern 105 andthe second edge portion E2 and the second side surfaces S2 of thesemiconductor structure 120. In an example embodiment of the presentinventive concept, the blocking layer 130 d does not cover the uppersurface of the semiconductor structure 120, and may be disposed to fillan area between the semiconductor structure 120 and the inner wall ofthe second spacer layers 174 facing the second edge portion E2 of thesemiconductor structure 120. Since the blocking layer 130 d covers thesemiconductor structure 120, the blocking layer 130 d may prevent thesource/drain regions 150 adjacent to the separation region SR from beingdamaged by preventing the semiconductor structure 120 being etchedduring a process of removing a sacrificial gate electrode layer to bedescribed. Thus, the semiconductor device 100D having enhancedreliability may be provided.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a semiconductor deviceaccording to an example embodiment of the present inventive concept.FIG. 8 illustrates regions corresponding to cross-sections taken alonglines I-I′, and of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 8, comparing to the example embodiment described abovewith reference to FIG. 2, a semiconductor device 100E may be configuredin such a manner that an opposite side surface of a surface of ablocking layer 130 e contacting the second edge portion E2 of thesemiconductor structure 120 may have a concavo-convex shape. Theblocking layer 130 e may be an epitaxial layer grown from thesemiconductor structure 120, and may have a difference in growth rate atdifferent portions of the semiconductor structure 120, due to differentmaterials included in the first semiconductor layers 121 and the secondsemiconductor layers 122. For example, when the first semiconductorlayers 121 include silicon germanium (SiGe) and the second semiconductorlayers 122 include silicon (Si), the growth rate of silicon (Si) in thesecond semiconductor layers 122 may be faster than that of silicon (Si)in the first semiconductor layers 121. Accordingly, a portion of theblocking layer 130 e adjacent to the first semiconductor layers 121 mayprotrude relatively outward to have a convex shape, and a portion of theblocking layer 130 e adjacent to the second semiconductor layers 122does not relatively protrude outward to have a shape that is concaveinwardly toward the second semiconductor layers 122. However, the shapeof the blocking layer 130 e may be changed depending on the epitaxiallayer growth process conditions, and thus is not limited to the shapeillustrated in FIG. 8. Since the blocking layer 130 e covers thesemiconductor structure 120, the blocking layer 130 e may prevent thesource/drain regions 150 adjacent to the separation region SR from beingdamaged by preventing the semiconductor structure 120 being etchedduring a process of removing a sacrificial gate electrode layer to bedescribed. Thus, the semiconductor device 100E having enhancedreliability may be provided.

FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view illustrating a semiconductor deviceaccording to an example embodiment of the present inventive concept.FIG. 9A illustrates regions corresponding to cross-sections taken alonglines I-I′, II-II′ and III-III′ of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 9A, comparing to the example embodiment describedabove with reference to FIG. 2, a semiconductor device 100F may beconfigured in such a manner that the first gate structures 160 mayfurther include internal spacer layers 161. The internal spacer layers161 may be disposed in parallel with the first gate electrode 165,between the channel structures 140, and may be disposed on both sides ofthe first gate structure 160 in the first direction, for example, the Xdirection, on lower surfaces of the first, second and third channellayers 141, 142 and 143, respectively. The internal spacer layers 161may have external surfaces substantially coplanar with external surfacesof the first, second and third channel layers 141, 142 and 143. On thelower portion of the third channel layer 143, the first gate electrode165 may be separated from the source/drain regions 150 by the internalspacer layers 161, to be electrically separated therefrom. Similarly,the first gate electrodes 165 may be separated from the source/drainregions 150 by the internal spacer layers 161 disposed on the lowerportion of the second channel layer 142, and by the internal spacerlayers 161 disposed on the lower portion of the first channel layer 141.The internal spacer layers 161 may have a shape in which a side facingthe first gate electrode 165 is convexly rounded toward the first gateelectrode 165 to be convex inwardly, but the present inventive conceptis not limited thereto. The internal spacer layers 161 may be formed of,for example, oxide, nitride, or oxynitride, and in detail, may be formedof a low dielectric constant film. In an example embodiment of thepresent inventive concept, the internal spacer layers 161 may include,for example, silicon nitride (Si₃N₄), silicon carbonitride (SiCN),silicon boron nitride (SiBN), silicon oxynitride (SiON), siliconoxycarbonitride (SiOCN), silicon boron carbonitride (SiBCN), siliconoxycarbide (SiOC), silicon oxide (SiO₂), or a combination thereof. In anexemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept, the internalspacer layers 161 may each include an air gap. The internal spacerlayers 161 are not limited to the example embodiment of FIG. 9A, and thesemiconductor device in another example embodiment may further includethe internal spacer layers 161. For example, semiconductor devices 100Ato 100E described above may each include the internal spacer layers 161.

FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view illustrating a semiconductor deviceaccording to an example embodiment of the present inventive concept.FIG. 9B illustrates regions corresponding to cross-sections taken alonglines I-I′, II-II′ and III-III′ of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9B illustrates cross-sections of a semiconductor device 100Gincluding a FinFET, in which the first gate structure 160 surroundsthree surfaces of the active pattern 105, for example, an upper surfaceof the active pattern 105 and side surfaces thereof in the Y direction.Comparing to the example embodiment of FIG. 2, the semiconductor device100G may not include a plurality of channel layers, and a channel regionof the transistor may be formed in the active pattern 105 intersectingthe first gate structure 160.

In this example embodiment, the semiconductor structure 120 may bedisposed to be adjacent to the separation region SR, on the activepattern 105, and may form a continuous structure with the active pattern105. The semiconductor structure 120 may also be understood as a regionof the active pattern 105 intersecting the second gate structure 170.The blocking layer 130 may cover at least one of the upper and sidesurfaces of the semiconductor structure 120. Since the blocking layer130 covers the semiconductor structure 120, the blocking layer 130 mayprevent the source/drain regions 150 adjacent to the separation regionSR from being damaged by preventing the semiconductor structure 120being etched during a process of removing a sacrificial gate electrodelayer to be described. Thus, the semiconductor device 100G havingenhanced reliability may be provided.

FIG. 9C is a cross-sectional view illustrating a semiconductor deviceaccording to an example embodiment of the present inventive concept.FIG. 9C illustrates regions corresponding to cross-sections taken alonglines I-I′, II-II′ and III-III′ of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 9C, comparing to the example embodiment describedabove with reference to FIG. 9B, a semiconductor device 100H, whichincludes a FinFET, may include a fin structure 107 between source/drainregions 150, on the active pattern 105. The fin structure 107 mayinclude a plurality of first silicon germanium layers 108 and aplurality of first silicon layers 109, and may be provided as a channelregion of the transistor. The semiconductor device 100H may include asemiconductor structure 120 adjacent to the separation region SR, on theactive pattern 105, and the semiconductor structure 120 may includefirst semiconductor layers 121 and second semiconductor layers 122alternately stacked.

The plurality of first silicon germanium layers 108 and the plurality offirst silicon layers 109 may be alternately stacked on the activepattern 105. Both the plurality of first silicon germanium layers 108and the plurality of first silicon layers 109 may be disposed to bespaced apart from each other in the Z direction, and may be connected tothe source/drain regions 150 in the X direction. For example, the firstsilicon germanium layers 108 adjacent to each other may be spaced apartfrom each other in the Z direction with the first silicon layer 109interposed therebetween. The plurality of first silicon germanium layers108 and the plurality of first silicon layers 109 alternately stackedmay vertically overlap each other. A lowermost first silicon germaniumlayer 108 of the plurality of first silicon germanium layers 108 maycontact the active pattern 105.

The semiconductor structure 120 may include first semiconductor layers121 and second semiconductor layers 122 alternately stacked on theactive pattern 105. Both the first and second semiconductor layers 121and 122 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other in adirection perpendicular to an upper surface of the active pattern 105,for example, in the Z direction, and may be connected to thesource/drain regions 150 in the X direction. For example, the firstsemiconductor layers 121 adjacent to each other may be spaced apart fromeach other in the Z direction with the second semiconductor layer 122interposed therebetween. The first and second semiconductor layers 121and 122 alternately stacked may vertically overlap each other. The firstand second semiconductor layers 121 and 122 may include a semiconductormaterial including at least one of silicon (Si), silicon germanium(SiGe), or germanium (Ge), but may include different materials, and mayor may not include impurities. For example, the first semiconductorlayers 121 may include silicon germanium (SiGe), and the secondsemiconductor layers 122 may include silicon (Si). The blocking layer130 may cover at least one of the upper and side surfaces of thesemiconductor structure 120. Since the blocking layer 130 covers thesemiconductor structure 120, the blocking layer 130 may prevent thesource/drain regions 150 adjacent to the separation region SR from beingdamaged by preventing the semiconductor structure 120 being etchedduring a process of removing a sacrificial gate electrode layer to bedescribed. Thus, the semiconductor device 100H having enhancedreliability may be provided.

In an example embodiment of the present inventive concept, thesemiconductor device described above with reference to FIGS. 9B and 9Cmay be co-located with the semiconductor device including MBCFET™described above in a different example embodiment. For example, thesemiconductor device may include first and second transistor regions,the first transistor region may include the FinFET described above withreference to FIGS. 9B and/or 9C, and the second transistor region mayinclude MBCFET™ described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9A.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a semiconductor deviceaccording to an example embodiment of the present inventive concept.FIG. 10 illustrates a region corresponding to a cross-section takenalong line II-II′ of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 10, in the case of a semiconductor device 100I, thewidth of an active pattern 105 a and the width of a channel structure140 a may be different from those of the example embodiment of FIG. 2.The active pattern 105 a and the channel structure 140 a may have arelatively small width, and accordingly, a plurality of channel layers141 a, 142 a and 143 a of the channel structure 140 a may have acircular shape, or an elliptical shape having a relatively smalldifference in length between the major axis and the minor axis, in eachcross section in the Y direction. The active pattern 105 may have around top under the plurality of channel layers 141 a, 142 a and 143 aof the channel structure 140 a. For example, in the example embodimentof FIG. 2, the plurality of channel layers 141, 142 and 143 may have awidth of about 20 nm to 50 nm in the Y direction, and the plurality ofchannel layers 141 a, 142 a and 143 a of this embodiment may have awidth of about 3 nm to 12 nm in the Y direction. As such, in an exampleembodiment of the present inventive concept, the width of the activepattern 105 a and the channel structure 140 a and the shape thereof maybe variously changed.

FIGS. 11A to 19B are diagrams according to a process sequence todescribe a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according toan example embodiment of the present inventive concept. FIGS. 11A to 19Billustrate an example embodiment of a method of manufacturing thesemiconductor device of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 11A and 11B, sacrificial layers 121′ and channellayers 141, 142 and 143 may be alternately stacked on the substrate 101.

The sacrificial layers 121′ may each be a layer that is replaced by thefirst gate dielectric layer 162 and the first gate electrode 165 througha subsequent process, and a portion thereof may be the layer remainingas the first semiconductor layer 121 of the semiconductor structure 120.Some of the channel layers 141, 142 and 143 may be the same layers asthe second semiconductor layers 122 of the semiconductor structure 120as illustrated in FIG. 2. The sacrificial layers 121′ may be formed of amaterial having etching selectivity with respect to a material of thechannel layers 141, 142 and 143. The channel layers 141, 142 and 143 mayinclude a material different from that of the sacrificial layers 121′.The sacrificial layers 121′ and the channel layers 141, 142 and 143 mayinclude, for example, a semiconductor material including at least one ofsilicon (Si), silicon germanium (SiGe), or germanium (Ge), but maycontain different materials, or may or may not contain impurities. Forexample, the sacrificial layers 121′ may include silicon germanium(SiGe), and the channel layers 141, 142 and 143 may include silicon(Si).

The sacrificial layers 121′ and the channel layers 141, 142 and 143 maybe formed by performing an epitaxial growth process using the substrate101 as a seed. Each of the sacrificial layers 121′ and the channellayers 141, 142 and 143 may have a thickness in a range from about 1 Åto about 100 nm. In an example embodiment of the present inventiveconcept, the number of layers of the channel layers 141, 142 and 143alternately stacked with the sacrificial layer 121′ may be variouslychanged.

Referring to FIGS. 12A and 12B, active structures may be formed bypatterning the stacked structure of the sacrificial layers 121′ and thechannel layers 141, 142 and 143 and by removing a portion of thesubstrate 101.

The active structure may include the sacrificial layers 121′ and thechannel layers 141, 142 and 143 alternately stacked. An active pattern105 may be formed to protrude from the upper surface of the substrate101 by removing a portion of the substrate 101. The active structuresmay be formed in a linear shape extending in one direction, for example,in the X direction, and may be disposed to be spaced apart from eachother in the Y direction. Both the active structures and the activepatterns 105 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other at apredetermined distance in the X direction, and a region from which aportion of the substrate 101 is removed so that the active structuresand the active patterns 105 are spaced apart from each other in the Xdirection may be defined as a separation region SR. The activestructures and the active pattern 105 may be divided into a plurality ofregions by the separation region SR. A region disposed adjacent to theseparation region SR among the active structures may be a region havinga structure the same as that of the semiconductor structure 120 asillustrated in FIG. 2.

The active pattern 105 may protrude from the upper surface of thesubstrate 101 to have first side surfaces S1 and a first edge portion E1connected to the first side surfaces S1. As a portion of the substrate101 is removed, the first side surfaces S1 and the first edge portion E1of the active pattern 105 may be exposed.

In the region in which a portion of the substrate 101 is removed, thedevice isolation layers 110 may be formed by filling and recessing aninsulating material so that the active pattern 105 protrudes. The uppersurface of the device isolation layers 110 may be formed to be lowerthan the upper surface of the active pattern 105. Thus, the upperportion of the active pattern 105 may vertically protrude upward fromthe upper surface of the device isolation layers 110.

Referring to FIGS. 13A and 13B, a mask layer 125 may be formed to coverthe active pattern 105, the active structure and the device isolationlayer 110.

The mask layer 125 may cover the upper and side surfaces of the activestructure, but may not cover a portion of the active structure adjacentto the separation region SR. The portion of the active structure notcovered by the mask layer 125 may be a region in which a semiconductorstructure to be described later is to be formed. The mask layer 125 maycover a portion of the first side surfaces Si of the active pattern 105,and may cover a portion of the upper surface of the device isolationlayer 110 extending in the Y direction, between the active patterns 105.The mask layer 125 may be formed of, for example, oxide, nitride, oroxynitride, and in detail, may include at least one of, for example,silicon oxide (SiO₂), silicon nitride (Si₃N₄), silicon carbonitride(SiCN), silicon oxycarbide (SiOC), silicon oxynitride (SiON), or siliconoxycarbonitride (SiOCN), but the present inventive concept is notlimited thereto.

Referring to FIGS. 14A and 14B, a blocking layer 130 may be formed tocover an exposed area of the active structure and an exposed area of theactive pattern 105.

The blocking layer 130 may cover the exposed ends and sides of thechannel layers 141, 142 and 143, and may be formed to cover the exposedends and sides of the sacrificial layers 121′. The upper portion of theblocking layer 130 may cover a portion of the upper surface of the thirdchannel layer 143, and the lower portion of the blocking layer 130 mayextend downward lower than the upper surface of the active pattern 105to cover the side surfaces of the active pattern 105 and contact theupper surface of the device isolation layer 110. The blocking layer 130may be formed to conformally cover the active pattern 105 and the activestructure.

The blocking layer 130 may be formed by performing an epitaxial growthprocess using the portion of the active pattern 105 protruding above theupper surface of the device isolation layer 110, the channel layers 141,142 and 143, and the sacrificial layers 121′ as seeds. In an exampleembodiment of the present inventive concept, the blocking layer 130 maybe a layer in which silicon (Si) is grown as an epitaxial layer. In anexample embodiment of the present inventive concept, the blocking layer130 may be formed by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process or achemical vapor deposition (CVD) process.

Referring to FIGS. 14C and 14D, according to an example embodiment ofthe present inventive concept, the preliminary blocking layer 130′ maybe formed to completely cover an area not covered by the mask layer 125.The entirety of an upper surface of the device isolation layers 110 thatare not covered by the mask layer 125 may be covered by the preliminaryblocking layer 130′. The preliminary blocking layer 130′ may cover oneends and side surfaces of the channel layers 141, 142 and 143, and maycover one ends and side surfaces of the sacrificial layers 121′.Subsequently, a portion of the preliminary blocking layer 130′ coveringthe upper surface of the device isolation layer 110 in the separationregion SR may be recessed to form the blocking layer 130 a or theblocking layer 130 c having the extension portion of FIG. 4 or theextension of FIG. 6, respectively.

Referring to FIGS. 15A and 15B, the mask layer 125 is removed, and firstsacrificial gate structures 160′, first spacer layers 164, secondsacrificial gate structures 170′ and second spacer layers 174 may beformed on the active structures.

The first sacrificial gate structure 160′ may be a sacrificial structureon the channel structures 140, formed in a region in which the firstgate dielectric layer 162 and the first gate electrode 165 are disposedthrough a subsequent process as illustrated in FIG. 2. The firstsacrificial gate structure 160′ may include first and second sacrificialgate layers 162′ and 165′ sequentially stacked, and a first gate maskpattern layer 166′. The first and second sacrificial gate layers 162′and 165′ may be patterned using the first gate mask pattern layer 166′,for example, as an etch mask in an etching process. The first and secondsacrificial gate layers 162′ and 165′ may be an insulating layer and aconductive layer, respectively, but the present inventive concept is notlimited thereto, and, for example, the first and second sacrificial gatelayers 162′ and 165′ may be formed of one layer. For example, the firstsacrificial gate layer 162′ may include silicon oxide (SiO₂), and thesecond sacrificial gate layer 165′ may include polysilicon (p-Si). Thefirst gate mask pattern layer 166′ may include silicon oxide (SiO₂)and/or silicon nitride (Si₃N₄). The first sacrificial gate structures160′ may have a linear shape that intersects the active structures andextends in one direction. The first sacrificial gate structures 160′ mayextend, for example, in the Y direction and may be spaced apart fromeach other in the X direction.

The first spacer layers 164 may be formed on both side walls of thefirst sacrificial gate structures 160′. The first spacer layers 164 maybe formed by conformally forming a first spacer film having a uniformthickness along the upper and side surfaces of the first sacrificialgate structures 160′ and the active structures, followed by anisotropicetching. To form the first spacer film, a process such as, for example,an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, a chemical vapor deposition(CVD) process, or a combination thereof may be used. The first spacerlayers 164 may be formed of a low dielectric constant material, and mayinclude, for example, at least one of silicon oxide (SiO₂), siliconnitride (Si₃N₄), silicon carbonitride (SiCN), silicon oxycarbide (SiOC),silicon oxynitride (SiON), or silicon oxycarbonitride (SiOCN). In anexample embodiment of the present inventive concept, the first spacerlayers 164 may be formed of a multi-layer including at least two of asilicon oxide (SiO₂) layer, a silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) layer, a siliconcarbonitride (SiCN) layer, a silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) layer, a siliconoxynitride (SiON) layer, or a silicon oxycarbonitride (SiOCN) layer.

The second sacrificial gate structure 170′ may be a sacrificialstructure formed in a region on the semiconductor structure 120, inwhich the second gate dielectric layer 172 and the second gate electrode175 are disposed as illustrated in FIG. 2 through a subsequent process.The second sacrificial gate structure 170′ may include third and fourthsacrificial gate layers 172′ and 175′ sequentially stacked, and a secondgate mask pattern layer 176′. The third and fourth sacrificial gatelayers 172′ and 175′ may be patterned using the second gate mask patternlayer 176′, for example, as an etch mask in an etching process. Indescribing the second sacrificial gate structures 170′, a description ofthe same portions as the first sacrificial gate structures 160′ will beomitted. On the other hand, the third and fourth sacrificial gate layers172′ and 175′ may be respectively formed to extend toward the uppersurface of the device isolation layer 110, between the blocking layer130 and the second spacer layers 174. The third sacrificial gate layer172′ may be formed to cover the upper and side surfaces of the blockinglayer 130.

The second spacer layers 174 may be formed on both side walls of thesecond sacrificial gate structures 170′. The same description as thefirst spacer layers 164 will be omitted. At least one of the secondspacer layers 174 may be formed to extend further downwardly lower thanthe upper surface of the active pattern 105, and a lower surface of atleast one of the second spacer layers 174 may be in contact with thedevice isolation layer 110 in the separation region SR, but the presentinventive concept is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIGS. 16A and 16B, exposed sacrificial layers 121′ andchannel layers 141, 142 and 143 between the first and second sacrificialgate structures 160′ and 170′ are removed, thereby forming the channelstructures 140 and the semiconductor structures 120.

The exposed sacrificial layers 121′ and channel layers 141, 142 and 143may be removed using the first sacrificial gate structures 160′ and thefirst spacer layers 164 as an etch mask. As a result, the channel layers141, 142 and 143 have a limited length in the X direction and form thechannel structure 140. According to an example embodiment of the presentinventive concept, below the first sacrificial gate structures 160′, thesacrificial layers 121′ and the channel structure 140 are partiallyremoved from the side surfaces such that both sides thereof in the Xdirection may be located below the first sacrificial gate structures160′ and the first spacer layers 164.

In the process of removing the exposed sacrificial layers 121′ and thechannel layers 141, 142 and 143, the sacrificial layers 121′ and thechannel layers 141, 142 and 143 adjacent to the separation region SR mayremain as the semiconductor structure 120 including the firstsemiconductor layers 121 corresponding to the remaining sacrificiallayers 121′ and the second semiconductor layers 122 corresponding to theremaining channel layers 141, 142 and 143 adjacent to the separationregion SR as illustrated in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 16C, the exposed sacrificial layers 121′ may bepartially removed from the side surface.

The sacrificial layers 121′ may be selectively etched with respect tothe channel structures 140 by, for example, a wet etching process, andmay be removed to a predetermined depth from the side surface in the Xdirection. The sacrificial layers 121′ may have side surfaces that areconcave inwardly by side etching as described above. However, thepresent inventive concept is not limited thereto. For example, the shapeof the side surfaces of the sacrificial layers 121′ may be differentfrom those shown and illustrated above.

In the subsequent process, the internal spacer layers 161 may be formedin the region in which the sacrificial layers 121′ have been removed toobtain the semiconductor device illustrated in FIG. 9A. The internalspacer layers 161 may be formed by filling an insulating material in aregion in which the sacrificial layers 121′ are removed, and removingthe insulating material deposited on outer surfaces of the channelstructures 140. Thus, each of the internal spacer layers 161 may have aconvex shape toward a central portion of each of the sacrificial layers121′ in the X direction as shown in FIG. 9A. The internal spacer layers161 may be formed of a material the same as that of the first spacerlayers 164, but the present inventive concept is not limited thereto.For example, the internal spacer layers 161 may include at least one of,for example, silicon nitride (Si₃N₄), silicon carbonitride (SiCN),silicon oxycarbonitride (SiOCN), silicon borocarbonitride (SiBCN), orsilicon boronitride (SiBN). The internal spacer layers 161 may protectthe source/drain regions 150.

Referring to FIGS. 17A and 17B, on both sides of the first sacrificialgate structures 160′, the source/drain regions 150 are formed on theactive pattern 105, and an interlayer insulating layer 190 may be formedon the source/drain regions 150 and on the device isolation layer 110 inthe separation region SR, and the sacrificial layers 121′ and the firstand second sacrificial gate structures 160′ and 170′ may be removed.

The source/drain regions 150 may be formed by performing an epitaxialgrowth process. For example, the source/drain regions 150 may be formedby performing a selective epitaxial growth (SEG) process using innersurfaces of the recessed region of the active pattern 105 as a seedlayer. For example, the SEG process may include a chemical vapordeposition (CVD) process or a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) process. Thesource/drain regions 150 may be connected to the plurality of channellayers 141, 142 and 143 of the channel structures 140 through sidesurfaces. The source/drain regions 150 may include impurities by in-situdoping, and may also include a plurality of layers having differentdoping elements and/or doping concentrations. In an example embodimentof the present inventive concept, impurities may be included in thesource/drain regions 150 by in-situ doping during the SEG process forforming the source/drain regions 150.

The interlayer insulating layer 190 may be formed by forming aninsulating layer covering the first and second sacrificial gatestructures 160′ and 170′ and the source/drain regions 150 and performinga planarization process. The planarization process of the interlayerinsulating layer 190 may be performed using an etch-back process or achemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process.

The sacrificial layers 121′ and the first and second sacrificial gatestructures 160′ and 170′ may be selectively removed with respect to thefirst and second spacer layers 164 and 174, the interlayer insulatinglayer 190, and the channel structures 140. First, the first and secondsacrificial gate structures 160′ and 170′ are removed to form upper gapregions UR, and then the sacrificial layers 121′ exposed through theupper gap regions UR are removed to form lower gap regions LR. The lowergap regions LR may be formed by removing the sacrificial layers 121′under the upper gap regions UR formed by removing the first sacrificialgate structures 160′, and may not be formed under or besides the uppergap regions UR formed by removing the second sacrificial gate structures170′. For example, when the sacrificial layers 121′ include silicongermanium (SiGe) and the channel structures 140 include silicon (Si),the sacrificial layers 121′ may be selectively removed by performing awet etching process using peracetic acid (PAA or CH₃CO₃H), which is amixture of acetic acid (CH₃COOH) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), as anetchant.

During the removal process, the source/drain regions 150 may beprotected by the interlayer insulating layer 190 and the blocking layer130. Since the blocking layer 130 covers the semiconductor structure120, the blocking layer 130 may prevent the etchant from penetratingthrough the semiconductor structure 120 from the exposed second sidesurfaces S2 or the second edge portion E2 of the semiconductor structure120 in the separation region SR. Accordingly, a portion of the firstsemiconductor layers 121 of which the side surfaces are exposed throughthe second side surfaces S2 or the second edge portion E2 of thesemiconductor structure 120 is not etched, thereby preventing thesource/drain regions 150 from being damaged. Due to the formation of theblocking layer 130 covering the semiconductor structure 120 to protectthe source/drain regions 150, a semiconductor device having enhancedreliability may be manufactured.

Referring to FIGS. 18A and 18B, first and second gate dielectric layers162 and 172 may be formed in the upper gap regions UR and the lower gapregions LR, for the first gate structure 160 and the second gatestructure 170, respectively. The first gate dielectric layer 162 mayinclude, for example, oxide, nitride, or a high-k material, and may beformed of a single layer or multilayers.

The first and second gate dielectric layers 162 and 172 may be formed toconformally cover the inner surfaces of the upper gap regions UR and thelower gap regions LR. For example, the first and second gate dielectriclayers 162 and 172 may be formed by an atomic layer deposition (ALD)process or a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process.

Referring to FIGS. 19A and 19B, first and second gate electrodes 165 and175 may be formed to fill the upper gap regions UR and the lower gapregions LR on the first and second gate dielectric layers 162 and 172,respectively, and first and second gate capping layers 166 and 176 maybe formed on the first and second gate electrodes 165 and 175,respectively.

The first and second gate electrodes 165 and 175 are formed tocompletely fill the upper gap regions UR and the lower gap regions LR,and then, may be removed from upper portions of the upper gap regions URto a predetermined depth. The first and second gate capping layers 166and 176 may be formed in regions in which the first and second gateelectrodes 165 and 175 are removed from the upper gap regions UR. Sidesurfaces of the first gate capping layer 166 and the second gate cappinglayer 176 may be surrounded by the first spacer layers 164 and thesecond spacer layers 174, respectively. The upper surfaces of the firstand second gate capping layers 166 and 176 may be substantially coplanarwith the upper surfaces of the first and second spacer layers 164 and174. Accordingly, the first gate structures 160 including the first gatedielectric layer 162, the first gate electrode 165, the first spacerlayers 164 and the first gate capping layer 166, and the second gatestructures 170 including the second gate dielectric layer 172, thesecond gate electrode 175, the second spacer layers 174 and the secondgate capping layer 176 may be formed.

Next, referring to FIG. 2, contact plugs 180 may be formed.

First, the interlayer insulating layer 190 may be patterned to formcontact holes, and the contact holes may be filled with a conductivematerial, thereby forming the contact plugs 180. The contact holes maybe formed by removing the interlayer insulating layer 190 on both sidesof the first and second gate structures 160 and 170 using a separatemask layer such as a photoresist pattern as an etch mask in an etchingprocess. The photoresist pattern may be formed through aphotolithography process. The lower surface of the contact holes may berecessed into the source/drain regions 150 or may have a curved shapealong the upper surfaces of the source/drain regions 150. In an exampleembodiment of the present inventive concept, the shape and arrangementof the contact plugs 180 may be variously changed.

As set forth above, according to an example embodiment of the presentinventive concept, a semiconductor device having enhanced reliabilitymay be provided by disposing a blocking layer covering a semiconductorstructure exposed in a separation region to protect source/drainregions.

While example embodiments have been illustrated and described above, itwill be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications andvariations could be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe present inventive concept as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A semiconductor device comprising: an activepattern extending on a substrate in a first direction and having firstside surfaces opposing each other and a first edge portion connected tothe first side surfaces; a plurality of channel layers spaced apart fromeach other vertically on the active pattern; a first gate electrodeextending in a second direction, while intersecting the active patternand the plurality of channel layers, on the substrate, and surroundingthe plurality of channel layers; source/drain regions disposed on theactive pattern, on at least one side of the first gate electrode, andcontacting the plurality of channel layers; a semiconductor structuredisposed adjacent to the first edge portion of the active pattern, andhaving second side surfaces opposing each other and a second edgeportion connected to the second side surfaces, the semiconductorstructure including a plurality of first semiconductor layers and aplurality of second semiconductor layers, alternately stacked on eachother on the active pattern; a second gate electrode extending in thesecond direction on the substrate and covering the first edge portion ofthe active pattern and the second edge portion of the semiconductorstructure; and a blocking layer disposed between the semiconductorstructure and the second gate electrode.
 2. The semiconductor device ofclaim 1, wherein the blocking layer extends between the first edgeportion of the active pattern and the second gate electrode and betweenthe second edge portion of the semiconductor structure and the secondgate electrode.
 3. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein theblocking layer covers an upper surface and the second side surfaces ofthe semiconductor structure.
 4. The semiconductor device of claim 1,wherein a lower portion of the blocking layer is disposed to cover aportion of a lower surface of the second gate electrode.
 5. Thesemiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the blocking layer has aconcavo-convex shape on one surface opposite to a surface contacting thesecond edge portion of the semiconductor structure.
 6. The semiconductordevice of claim 1, wherein the blocking layer comprises a materialdifferent from a material of the plurality of first semiconductorlayers.
 7. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the blockinglayer comprises a material the same as a material of the plurality ofsecond semiconductor layers.
 8. The semiconductor device of claim 1,wherein the blocking layer comprises an epitaxial layer grown from thesemiconductor structure.
 9. The semiconductor device of claim 1, whereinthe blocking layer comprises at least one of silicon, germanium, silicongermanium, silicon carbide, or silicon nitride.
 10. The semiconductordevice of claim 1, further comprising contact plugs disposed on thesource/drain regions and connected to the source/drain regions.
 11. Thesemiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising a device isolationlayer being in contact with the first side surfaces and the first edgeportion of the active pattern, wherein a lower surface of the blockinglayer is in contact with an upper surface of the device isolation layer.12. The semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising internalspacer layers disposed on both sides of the first gate electrode in thefirst direction, and on respective lower surfaces of the plurality ofchannel layers, the internal spacer layers having external surfacessubstantially coplanar with external surfaces of the plurality ofchannel layers.
 13. A semiconductor device comprising: an active patternextending on a substrate in a first direction, divided into a pluralityof regions by a separation region, and having a first edge portionexposed toward the separation region; first, second and third channellayers vertically spaced apart from each other and sequentially disposedon the active pattern; a first gate electrode extending in a seconddirection while intersecting the active pattern, on the substrate, andsurrounding the first, second and third channel layers; source/drainregions disposed on the active pattern, on at least one side of thefirst gate electrode, and contacting the first, second and third channellayers; a semiconductor structure including first semiconductor layersand second semiconductor layers alternately stacked on the activepattern, and having a second edge portion exposed toward the separationregion; and a blocking layer covering at least one of an upper surface,side surfaces, or the second edge portion, of the semiconductorstructure.
 14. The semiconductor device of claim 13, wherein theblocking layer covers the upper surface of the semiconductor structure.15. The semiconductor device of claim 13, wherein the blocking layercomprises a material different from a material of the firstsemiconductor layers.
 16. The semiconductor device of claim 13, furthercomprising: a second gate electrode extending in the second directionwhile intersecting the active pattern, on the substrate, and covering atleast a portion of the semiconductor structure; a gate dielectric layerdisposed between the blocking layer and the second gate electrode; andspacer layers disposed on both side surfaces of the second gateelectrode.
 17. The semiconductor device of claim 16, wherein the gatedielectric layer covers an upper surface and side surfaces of theblocking layer, and comprises a portion that is disposed between theblocking layer and the second gate electrode and further downwardlyextends lower than the semiconductor structure.
 18. The semiconductordevice of claim 16, wherein at least one of the spacer layers furtherextends to be lower than the semiconductor structure.
 19. Thesemiconductor device of claim 13, wherein each of the secondsemiconductor layers is disposed at a height the same as that of eachcorresponding one of the first, second and third channel layers, and isin contact with the source/drain regions.
 20. A semiconductor devicecomprising: an active pattern extending on a substrate in a firstdirection, and divided into a plurality of regions by a separationregion; a semiconductor structure disposed adjacent to the separationregion, on the active pattern; a first gate electrode extending in asecond direction while intersecting the active pattern, on thesubstrate; a second gate electrode extending in the second directionwhile intersecting the semiconductor structure, on the substrate, andcovering the semiconductor structure; source/drain regions disposed onthe active pattern, on at least one side of the first gate electrode;and a blocking layer covering the semiconductor structure.